America needs real immigration change

March 28, 2014 at 5:05 p.m.Updated March 27, 2014 at 10:28 p.m.

Editor, the Advocate:

Obama is going to try to recycle his immigration reform bill that failed in 2007. Unrestricted immigration policies are taking a tremendous toll on America, which takes in more than half the world's immigrants.

The U.S. admits almost 1 million legal aliens annually, and an estimated half million illegals cross our borders undetected each year. The cost of legal and illegal immigration to taxpayers is now estimated to be more than $100 billion a year, including education, health care and welfare used by immigrants. Despite a proven failure of bilingual education programs, these programs remain in effect in many states, costing taxpayers $12 billion a year, yet more than 20 million people in America cannot speak English. It is projected that by 2050, English will no longer be our country's predominate language.

While doing nothing to enforce our nation's immigration laws or secure the borders, current proposals under consideration by Congress not only amount to blanket amnesty, but they will also dramatically increase both illegal and legal immigration into our country. No town in America is immune to the effects of uncontrolled immigration. Our schools, hospitals, prisons and government programs are all under siege.

It's time politicians stopped pandering to powerful special interest groups, including corporate interest groups that want to import cheap labor, and stop clamoring to give citizenship and other rights and benefits to people who broke the law to enter our country. Alien lawbreakers must not be rewarded with amnesty.